Circuit connecting plug



July 12, 1932. M w, MCARDLE 1,867,319

CIRCUIT CONNECTING PLUG Filed July 19, 1930 y ZZ/vena. W6/nes? PatentedJuly 12, 1932 UNITED STATES v:MICHAEL W. MCARDLE, F CHICAGO, ILLINOISCIRCUIT CONNCTING PLUG Application med my 19, 1930. serial No. 469,106.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved form ofcircuit-connecting plug adapted to cooperate with an apartment electriccircuit installation having outlets for rea ceiving circuit-connectingplugs, and arranged for engaging the plug contacts against directwithdrawal and specifically adapted to cooperate with an electriccircuit installation for apartments which is disclosed lo in my pendingapplication Serial No. 463,109

filed July 19, 1930.

The present invention consists of the elements and features ofconstruction herein shown and described as indicated in the In thedrawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a circuitconnecting plug embodying thisinvention.

Figure'2 is a similar view showlng the fo plug partly dissected byunscrewing the cap which encloses the circuit wire securements bybinding screws.

Figure 3 is a detail elevation as might be seen at the line 3 3 onFigure 2. Figure 4 is a section at the line 4--4 on Figure 3 on anenlarged scale.

Figure 5 is a section atthe line 5-5 on Figure 2 on the same enlargedscale.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the de vice t0 in entirety.

Referring to the drawing, it may lirst be noted that the terminalcontacts Jfor engagement with a circuit installation are deflectedoppositely awayfrom each other, whereby the device is in T-orm andthereby adapted for engagement against direct withdrawal from theengaged circuit elements. And the construct-ion in detail is somewhatdetermined to accommodate this feature.

The device comprises a main body memshoulders, 24, 24, and in the otherdirection by the compressibility of the springs and the spacing of theterminal head member, 21, i

from the body member, 20, determined by the length of the screws.

Circuit terminal contacts, 30, 30, are formed of dat metal strips whichextend through the main body member in an axial 05 aperture, 20",thereof which is wide enough to accommodate the two strips spaced aparta substantial distance for admitting between them an insulating member,31, which is held to the two contacts and to the body member by screws,33, 33, set in laterally of the body member, 20, and having reducedterminals, 33a, 33*11 operating as pins engaging apertures formed in thecontacts, 30, 30, registering with recesses in the insulating member,3l; 75 and in view of the dimensions of the contacts and said insulatingmember being such as to fully occupy the axial aperture of the bodymember, the engagement effected by the pin terminal of the screws, 33,renders the contacts and the insulating member rigid with the bodymember. The axial aperture, 20", is formed wider at the outer end thanat the inner end for the purpose of accommodating the. contacts formedas shown for being more Widely spaced atthe outer than at the inner endsfor attaching the circuit wires, 35; and the insulating member, 31, iscorrespondingly formed-tapered widening toward the outer end, the otherend portion of the insulation beingnarrower or thinner andparallel-sided for extending between and suitably spacing apart parallelportions, 30, 30, of the contacts which protrude from the body memberand through an aperture, 21, in the terminal head member, 21, beyondwhich the contacts are flexed oppositely away from each other, asmentioned above, and as seen at 30h.

Upon considering this construction it will lo be understood that theliexure of the contacts D transversely of their eneral direction ofprotrusion rendering eac of the contacts in hook form and the totalassembly in T-form, adapts the device to beV engaged with the members ofthe electric circuit connected by the plug in a manner to preventwithdrawal of t e plug in the reverse of the direction of protrusion ofthe contacts of the body member. The circuit wire connections to theouter` ends of the contacts, 30, 30, areshielded by a screwed on cap,40, apertured for admitting the circuit wire. v I claim:

1. A circuit connecting plug comprising in combination with a main bodymember and a terminal member, coaxially mounted one -upon the other andmovable relatively in the direction of their common axis, meansconnecting said main body member and terminal for limiting the relativeco-axial movement, and spring means reacting between the main body andthe terminal for holding them normally extendin to the limit oftheconnecting means, sai main-body and terminal having aligned axialapertures, a pair of circuit contacts mounted insulatedly from eachother in the main body member ixedly with respect to said body member asagainst longitudinal dis lacement relative to the latter and protru ingtherefrom at opposite ends thereofand at the end toward the terminalmember protruding through said terminal member and a substantialdistance therebeyond, said contacts at the ends thus protruding from theterminal being deflected in opp osite directions away from each other 1n-form, the opposite ends protruding at the opposite end of the bodmember being 'arranged for attachment o circuit wires.

, 2. A circuit connecting plug comprising in combination with a mainbody member and a terminal member co-axially mounted one upon the otherand movable relatively in the direction of their common axis, both madeof electrically non-conductive material, means connecting said main bodymember and `terminal for limiting the relative co-axial movement, andspring means reacting between the main body and the terminal for Yholding them normally extending to the limit of the connecting means,said main body and terminal having aligned axial apertures, a prair ofcircuit contacts mounted insulatedly om each other in the mainbodymember tixedly with respect to said body member as againstlongitudinal displacement -relative thereto and'protruding therefrom atopposite ends thereof and at the end toward the terminal memberprotruding throu h said terminal member and a substantial l istancetherebedylond said contacts at the ends thus protru ,"ng irom theterminal being deflected 1n cip ite directions away from each other inorm, the oppositel ends protruding at the opposite end of the bodymember being main body' member being formed with an axial aperturewidening from the inner end outwardly forming shoulders adapted toposition the contacts longitudinally of said body member, an insulatingmember conformed in respect toA thickness at a portion of its length tothe varying width `of said axial aperture throughout the length of thebody member and throughout the remainder of its length being parallelsided,'said insulating member being interposed between the contacts, andmeans for securing said contacts and said intervening insulating elementtogether and to the main body member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois,this 15th day of July, 1930.

MICHAEL W. MCARDLE.

